Makeshift Altar

Amy M. Alvarez explores the cultural, spiritual, and place-based experiences of Afro-Caribbean and African American diasporic peoples in this haunting and emotionally charged collection of poems that meditates on the meaning of home and existence. Born in New York City to Jamaican and Puerto Rican parents, Alvarez draws readers into a journey of self-discovery and identity, connecting the past with the present while highlighting the complexities of navigating life as a multicultural American. The musicality of her language weaves together themes of environment, family, and migration, as well as her own ancestry as a Black Latinx woman. Makeshift Altar is an intimate collection that explores identities forged by colonialism and displacement and shaped by individual choice and collective power.